September is a month I used to dread as a child. It signaled the return to school, rather, my own personal hell. I correlate September with picture day and sitting in hot classrooms feeling miserable that summer just ended.

As an adult, September is practically like any other month. For some, it marks the time to go apple picking. For others, it’s time to decorate your houses, apartments and rooms with pumpkins and other festive items. And for those of us who are 21 and older, it is now socially acceptable to start drinking pumpkin beer. Cheers.

But one of my favorite parts of September is The Big E in West Springfield, Mass. The Big E is a large fair with all the food you could possibly eat. There are animals (including abnormally large pigs and horses), as well as zebras, ponies and others. The Big E also contains exhibits, rides, crafts and a lot of shopping.

The Big E just ended, but I was lucky enough to go on Friday, Sept. 28 just two days before the end of this year’s fair.

I made the hour long trek in the rain with one of my best friends. I drove, of course, leading to some scary moments on the road. However, I channeled my inner Carrie Underwood and Jesus took the wheel, saving us from several perilous moments along the way. Phew.

Upon our arrival to The Big E, my wallet felt significantly emptier after spending $25 on parking and my admission ticket. However, my stomach was growling, so that didn’t stop me from spending $6 on a bag of fried Oreos. They melted in my mouth. No regrets.

Suddenly, the rain we drove through hit us. I stood in the pouring rain holding my bag of fried treats feeling nothing but shame as I continued to shove the delectable cookies in my mouth one by one.

As the rain continued to fall, we stood under a giant tent housing several hot tubs. We stopped
short of taking all our clothes off and jumping in. The 104-degree water felt awfully good against our frigid hands.

The rain prevented us from going on any rides; however, that didn’t stop us from eating our way through the rest of The Big E. An Italian buffet, turkey legs, lemonade, fudge and free samples of food throughout the fair left us almost comatose at the end of our excursion.

Despite the nasty weather, The Big E left a lasting impression. Only 11 more months until the next one!

Matt Busekroos is a graduate student studying interactive media. He would eat nothing but fried Oreos if given the opportunity.